


love me like you

by FrozenHearts



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Bo-Katan is not the nicest in this story, Chapter 16: The Rescue, Crying, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Din Djarin Whump, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Gen, Good Parent Din Djarin, Grief/Mourning, Grogu | Baby Yoda Needs a Hug, Hurt Din Djarin, I really love Cara and Din's friendship I hope I wrote it well enough here, Jedi Luke Skywalker, Mandalorian Culture (Star Wars), Mentioned Ahsoka Tano, Moff Gideon is here for two seconds and he's a punk ass bitch, Post-Canon, Protective Cara Dune, Protective Din Djarin, The Mandalorian (TV) Season 2, The Mandalorian (TV) Season 2 Spoilers, The Mandalorian (TV) Spoilers, The Mandalorian Darksaber (Star Wars), season 2 finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28164747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: No one could say anything for a moment, frozen in time as the Jedi, the one and only Luke Skywalker, picked up little Grogu and walked away, his little droid beeping after him.No one said anything as Din stood there, helmet on the ground.And then Bo-Katan had to go and open her mouth.
Relationships: Cara Dune & Grogu | Baby Yoda, Din Djarin & Bo-Katan Kryze, Din Djarin & Cara Dune, Din Djarin & Fennec Shand, Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda, Din Djarin & Luke Skywalker, Fennec Shand & Cara Dune, Grogu | Baby Yoda & Luke Skywalker
Comments: 22
Kudos: 505





	love me like you

**Author's Note:**

> Wow
> 
> That finale jesus christ i cried
> 
> (And yes the title is a steven universe lyric I couldn't resist okay also I wrote this while listening to Just A Thought and Love Like You from the steven universe soundtrack anyway so listen to those while reading this if you want an extra super sad time)

"May the Force be with you."

Ahsoka Tano's voice echoed in the back of Din's mind, as soon as those same words left the new Jedi's lips. He was young, with bright blue eyes and side swept blond hair. He was careful with Grogu, walking steadily as he cradled the baby in the crook of his arm, giving the child a moment to say goodbye before the loud beeping of a blue and white R2-D2 unit caught his attention. It seemed excited, loud whirs and chirps making Grogu babble happily as they conversed and for a second Din thought the kids must have picked it up from IG-11 all that time ago when they first met. 

And as the Jedi allowed him a chance to say goodbye, Din did what he refused to do. His helmet sat on the ground next to him as Grogu stared up at him with those big round eyes and he couldn't help but smile through his tears as Grogu beamed at him, his tiny hands caressing his face and he could still feel the lingering warmth in his skin as he waddled over to the Jedi. He could still feel the soft poke of Grogu's class on his jaw as the Jedi spoke and that lingering warmth was the one thing keeping him upright as the doors slid shut behind them, leaving Din and his comrades to stand in strained silence for what felt like hours. 

Then, like a puppet who's strings had been cut, Din crashed to the floor, his knees slamming painfully on the cold linoleum floor and his helmet skittered across the way, shiny in the light of the stars coming through the windows of the ship. He was vaguely aware of Cara or Fennec moving to retrieve it for him, of them placing it gently back next to him and he could feel the strain in the air as they no doubt forced themselves not to look at him; from the corner of his eye, blurry through his tears he could see them keeping their head down, chin tucked to their chest as they backed away from him. 

Din could hear Moff Gideon chuckling under his breath, muttering something and Din let his eyes stray to where the darksaber lay near the main console. The hilt was made of a dark metal not unlike beskar in color, the glowing black blade currently sheathed although Din could still hear the slight him it emitted, could feel the slight rattle through the floor as he knelt there. 

He looked away abruptly, eyes falling on his helmet. Even warped in the bright silver some, Din couldn't believe how worn he looked. His skin was damp with tears, lines around his mouth and deep crinkles around his eyes. His mustache was a bit scruffy and his hair was curlier than he had ever seen it, in need of a good trim and he closed his eyes, just for a moment. A moment of silence as all he could see was Grogu eating soup, Grogu playing with the shiny metal ball from the Razor Crest- and oh, right, that was gone too, blown up by Gideon's Darktroopers on Tython. Images of Ahsoka and Grogu conversing by a campfire flashed in his mind, the way she taught him how to play catch with him, how Omera and Winta offered Grogu a better home than Din ever could even before he knew the Jedi existed-

"I said Gideon was mine."

Din ignored Bo-Katan, letting himself linger in his memories, Grogu happy and safe with Kulil and the last time they had visited Peli, how the kids had played a game he didn't know with her little worker droids and-

"I told you you to let me take on Gideon and get the saber, you agreed-"

Din was upon her before he realized he was standing, his tears hot, spit flying from his mouth as he bellowed.

"I didn't agree to this!" he yelled, marching towards her, sweeping and arm out to gesture towards the room, "I didn't want this!"

Bo-Katan, to her credit, barely twitched, cocking her head as she had done before, back when they met on the boat. Her lips were pursed in what Din knew was disappointment, a look she probably had on hand to deal with idiots of whatever royal house she came from but Din didn't care. He kept moving, almost gleeful as she startled upon his advance.

"I am the rightful ruler of Mandalore," Bo-Katan stated, "The Darksaber belongs to me-"

"And I told you to take it! I don't want it, I don't want any of this bantha-shit!" Din could feel his face burning as he yelled, his jaw aching and his blood feeling like fire in his veins, boiling and hot and he thought the louder he yelled it might pour from his mouth to spray in the princess's face, to sleep all her crap back at her and see how she liked it. Pain blossomed from his wrist and it took him a minute to realize he had slammed it against the ship's console, Bo-Katan backed up against it even as she dared to look defiant in the face of his anger.

"It doesn't work like that," she said, as it made all the sense in the world and, really it did, didn't it? It made sense because Din didn't know. It made sense because it seemed the world was content to constantly shit on him and Bo-Katan seemed eager to drive this fact deeper and deeper into his chest every single time he saw her and judging from the look on her eye, she had yet to be tired of doing so. 

Slowly, he leaned in, shoulders squared as he looked down his nose at her. It was slight, almost imperceivable, but there was a slight tremble in her shoulders. A quick glance at the way her hands clutched at the edge of the console, how her knuckles were white with an iron grip told him all he needed to know. 

"Then feel free to explain it to me," Din hissed, low and ugly as he glared down at her, because according to you I am not Mandalorian. I am not worthy of the armor I have been given by my creed-"

"By a cult!" Bo-Katan shit back but Din didn't miss how her lower lip quivered, even as her words were strong and clear. 

"- yet every time I think I'm free if you, of this amazing planet you claim to rule over, I'm expected to follow your rules!" Din laughed, "If I'm not a true Mandalorian, why am I supposed to follow you? Huh?"

Bo-Katan looked just past him, just behind him where he knew Cara and Fennec and her lackeys were probably standing, and he could imagine they were unsure of how to proceed- how did one handle a man they did not own? One they did not control? Her eyes were watery as she returned her gaze to him, strands of short red hair falling from under her headband and into her eyes. 

"You like to think you know what being a Mandalorian means," Din said, hating how his voice cracked as he took a shaky breath, "you say my creed is unworthy of the armor but what have you bought me?"

"The Darksaber for one," Moff Gideon piped up and Din simply nodded his head towards him, Cara at the ready with a blaster, Fennec on hand with a gun if her own. He was quick to clamp his mouth shut as the two women aimed at him, but Din ignored him, keeping his focus on the woman in front of him

The so-called queen. 

"I'd like to think you've gained a new understanding from all of this," Bo-Katan's voice was quiet, meek. Absolutely unlike anything Din heard from her and he wanted to laugh- in fact, he did, eyes wide as he barked in her face, a hoarse sound that grew from strains chuckle to a sob and it didn't really register that it was coming from him, instead too amazed with how that tiny quiet voice came frome such a disgrace of supposed royalty. 

"That's a skugpile if I ever heard it and you talk a lot," Din retorted, "The only understanding I've gained from knowing you, the only thing I've grown to understand from this little adventure is that I no longer have an understanding of anything. Because everything I understood about the world I was told was the old way, that it was frowned upon. That the Mandalorian as a people were cold-blooded in their fight to keep to themselves and to stave off any connections unless it was convenient, which seems to be the case for you."

Din watched as Bo-Katan opened her mouth to speak, eyes darting between him and the space behind him and as she gaped like a creature out of water, he followed her gaze, turning his body to stare at the ruined door of the cockpit, but more clearly, the hilt of the Darksaber, still turned off and waiting patiently for it's master.

For him, apparently. 

"All for a kriffing laser sword," Din spat out, shaking his head, "I broke so many rules for you to get that thing. I fought tooth and nail to get you what you wanted and yet you won't take it-"

Bo-Katan shook her head, a desperate plea on her lips, "I can't take it! You don't understand-!"

"Stop telling me what I don't understand!" Din screeched, and as he turned back around he caught a glimpse of Cara and Fennec; the two of them were pale, watching on with terrified awe and he realized they had never seen him so angry before. They were never around long enough to experience his true rage, even as Mayfield and Fett tried to push his buttons all those other times they'd worked together. Then again, that was the front he kept putting up, right? A "don't bother me, I won't bother you" policy that seemed to work.

Until now. 

Fingers gently curled around Din's own and he looked down to see Cara's hands gently prying his from the folds of Bo-Katan's shirt, nails dangerously close to digging into the skin underneath and he felt his limbs tingle, pins and needles poking and prodding as he seemed to return to himself.

"You wanted that sword so badly," Din chuckled as Cara wrapped and arm around him. Her presence was heavy, grounding even as he felt snot drop down his face to cling to his mustache, looking in the dip over his upper lip. "For your sister, you said you wanted a home again-"

Bo-Katan's face fell, and she nodded vigorously, "I do, I still do-"

"But what about my home?" Don's voice warbled, "The kid, Grogu, I was that for him. He was that for me- wherever I went, he went-"

"But Mandalore is your home now," Bo-Katan said, a soft smile outing on her cheeks, "And if I win the battle for the Darksaber, you can go on your merry way, and we never have to see each other again."

Din shook his head, "That's the thing. Mandalore was never my home. I never set foot on that planet and I don't plan on it because you'll just destroy my home even further than you already have."

Bo-Katan looked between him and Cara, eyes growing cold as she clicked her tongue, "My home was already destroyed. With the saber I plan on repairing it."

"And where does that leave me?" Din pressed, "You claim there is no code but it's pretty clear what your code is. It's admirable that you would do anything for your home, it really is. But if you even think you're ready to rule an entire planet than you need to think again."

Bo-Katan, despite being clearly ruffled, kept her cool, managing to straighten her back even as Din had her up against the console and even as they sat here arguing, he could tell she was just as tired as he was, with deep bags under her eyes and the way her shoulders sagged in her armor. 

"Let me fight you for the Darksaber and you can join us," Bo-Katan relented with a sigh, "You can have a new home, a new family- whatever you want!'

Din felt his left eye twitch. He could feel Cara's hand squeeze the back of his neck in reassurance and the warmth of her fingers on his skin just like he could feel the phantom of Grogu against his cheek and he ducked his head, wiping at his eyes as he moved with Cara, groping blindly as he moved to kneel, hands sliding across the cold floor as he looked for his helmet once more. 

"Here," Fennec's voice was gentle as he felt his helmet pressed into his hands, the beskar making him shiver and he knew she still wasn't looking at him either as he moved to put it back on. As soon as the familiar weight had fallen back upon his shoulders he finally looked up, nodding at Cara and Fennec in thanks. 

"You can be worthy of the armor again," Bo-Katan protested, still holding on to the console. Din shrugged, moving across the room to pick up the Darksaber; in his hands, the hilt was quite sleek, deceptively lightweight. Turning it over in his palm-, Din raised an eyebrow at Moff Gideon, even if he couldn't see his expression.

"All of this for a beam of light?" Din chuckled darkly.

Smartly, probably the smartest thing he's ever done, Moff Gideon stayed quiet, offering a look that simply said ,"What can I say?"

"You are not worthy of the Darksaber, Mandalorian," Bo-Katan called and Din rolled his eyes, clipping the blade to his belt. 

"No, you're Highness," Din cooed, hand curled around the saber almost protectively, "I think you're unworthy. Unworthy of your title, unworthy of this saber and unworthy of your armor."

Bo-Katan's face curled at the idea, her nose scrunched up as her eyes narrowed and even as she stood there, flabbergasted and struggling with her words, she still looked regal. She still looked every bit the princess she was even as she raved at him, "You-! How dare you-!"

"No!" Din cut her off harshly, "no, how dare you tell me I am wrong. How dare you drag me into your fight and how dare you for destroying the only home I ever knew!"

The room went silent again. Din's voice echoed around them, words muffled slightly through his helmet but they weighed down on him like the best of the double suns on Tattooine. It was in that moment, as he stared the princess down, that he was tired. Tired of running, tired of pretending to be okay and most of all, he was tired of all this. 

Especially if Bo-Katan. Fennec had Gideon up on his feet, motioning to follow her into the corridor and Din watched as Cara turned on her heel to follow, lingering in the broken doorframe when she realized Din wasn't following them. 

"You coming?" Cara asked, calm and collected but Din recognized the worried glint in her eye, even as she tried to play it off as amusement. 

That was something he always like about Cara. She always knew when it was the right time to leave something alone, but Din knew it was only a matter of time before she asked again. He waved her off, indicating he would catch up before turning back to Bo-Katan.

"While admirable, your arrogance has cost me my family," Din said. The saber was heavy on his waist and Bo-Katan zeroed in on it, eyes bright and dangerous. Din adjusted it on his belt, fingers hovering over it as he offered a final goodbye.

"Don't let that same arrogance destroy what little you have left of yours," Din said.

"You know nothing of my family," Bo-Katan replied, adding under her breath, "you know nothing of what being a Mandalorian is."

Din shrugged, slowly backing up towards the sliding doors. He could hear Cara and Fennec in the corridor, their voices carrying over the hump of the lights and the woods of the air shafts on the ship.

"Perhaps not," Din shrugged, "but I learned a lot more about what it means to be Mandalorian from the kid before I ever learned any of it from you. And he's more my family than any other Mandalorian ever will be."

He studied Bo-Katan for a minute, taking in every line of her face, every wrinkle that lined the gnashing teeth in her mouth, every pull of her kids as her eyes twitched towards her comrades and he hoped she could see what she had before it was gone, as they were quick to jump to her aid, hands hovering just over her, a soothing presence in a dark hole, a light at the end of a tunnel. Walking backwards, he heard the doors shift open behind him and he stepped through, raising his chin to look upon her one more time. 

"This is my way, Bo-Katan Kryze," Din said as the door began to slide shut once more, "I hope you find yours, someday."

He collected his cape before it got stuck in the door as it closed fully, and once Bo-Katan was out of sight did he let himself collapse, beskar clanging against the nearby wall as he almost crashed into it. Tears flowed freely down his face for what felt like the millionth time and he was glad he was alone, as he reached into his helmet from underneath, skin burning as he cried and he thought he could feel Grogu's hand upon his face again, hear his little laugh and even though he knew he had fulfilled his duty, the kid had burrowed so deep i to his heart into his very being, he wasn't sure if he would be able to move on from it.

Footsteps made him jump, and Din pulled his hand free from his helmet to find Cara approaching him like one would a frightened port, her face open and gentle. Slowly, she reached out and cupped the side of his helmet, her palm flat against the metal and Din desparately wished it was Grogu with his little hands in his arms once more.

"You'll see him again," Cara assured him, "I know you will."

Din nodded, sniffling. Cara smiled at him, and he forced himself to walk with her, the Darksaber heavy on his hip as Cara's firm arms kept him warm. 

**Author's Note:**

> Luke was definitely wearing the chanel boots but did he have to snatch din's wig like that


End file.
